turner



2 SheetsSheet. 1.

(No Model.)

J. J. TURNER. DETECTOR BAR 0R SAFETY LOGK FOR SWITCHES.

Patented Dec. 13, 1887.

u. PETERS. Photo-UMP. wmpm 2o (No Model.)

2 Shqets-Sheet 2. J. J. TURNER. DETECTOR BAR 0R SAFETY LOCK FOR SWITCHES. No. 374,915.

Patented Dec. 13, 1887. 22? d UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES J. TURNER, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JOHN F. MILLER,

OF SAME PLACE.

DETECTOR-BAR OR SAFETY-LOCK FOR SWITCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 374,915, dated December 13, 1887.

1 Application filed March 4, 1887. Serial No. 229,673. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES J. TURNER, of Richmond, county of \Vayne, State oflndiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement 5 in Detector-Bars or Safety-Locks for Switches, of which the following is a true and exact description, due reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

Heretofore the detector bars which are placed alongside of a railroad track near switches have been connected permanently with the switch-lock connection, so that every movement ofthis connection was accompanied by a movement, of the detector-bar, which of course necessitated the use of much more power in locking and unlocking the switches than if this safety device had not been used.

The object of my invention is to relieve the switch-lock connection of this extra work and provide a safety device by means of which the passage of the train over aselected part of the track will cause 'the locking of the switch-lock in position and prevent its being unlocked by 2 its connection until the train has left the switch; and my invention consists of alocking pawl or pawls so combined with the switch lock or looks and a device in the nature of the well-known detector-bar arranged near or under the track that the train will, in passing overacertain part of the track, cause the locking-pawl to engage with the switch-lock and prevent its movement until the train has left the switch; also in certain special connections which I have devised in adapting my invention to use, reference being now had to the drawings which illustrate my invention, and in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a railway-switch 40 having my improvement; Fig. 2, a perspective view of a portion of the same on a larger scale; Fig. 3, a section on the line 0000 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view ofa modified arrangement ofswitchlooks with my improved locking-pawl; Fig. 5, 5 a modified arrangement of the actuating device, and Fig. 6 a section on the line y y of Fig. 5.

A A are the main-track rails, A A and A A the connected tracks, a and a being the switch-points.

B B, &c., are bell-crank levers secured alongside of the track. As shown in the drawings, they are all secured on a pivot-rod, O.

b is a bar similar to what is usually called a detector-bar in its general character. It 5 is secured to the ends of levers B, so that it is in normal position a little above the rail-top and close enough to it to come in contact with the outer edge of the wheel-tread.

D D, 850., are connecting-rods, joining bell- 6o crank levers B and E, which connect with a rod, F.

G is a spring so connected with rod F as to act in the opposite direction to the impulse given it by means of the depression of the bar b, the said spring serving to return the bar to its normal position when the train passes.

H is abolt or pawl secured on theend ofrod F, a spring, I, making its connection sufficiently elastic to prevent breaking-strains in use.

J is a switch-lock-actuating connection, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. It is connected with a double bell-crank lever, K, which, with the double locking-bolts L L, I have invented. 7 The lever K has a segment attached to it, bearing the ratchetteeth M M, which are engaged with the bolt H when the rod F is moved forward by the passage of a train over bar Z). i This bolt or pawl H locks thebell-crank lever K, so that it cannot be moved by its connec tion J'while the train is over the guarded portion of track. It is thus impossible to unlock the switch while the train is over bar 12; but as soon as it passes, the spring G with- 8; draws the pawl.

In Fig. 4 a modified arrangement is shown, my improved double locking system being employed in connection with single bell-crank levers K K'", each of these levers having a toothed segment, M or M. H H are modified forms of locking-pawls. They are pivoted on stationary centers N N and connected with rod F, as shown, the safety-spring I being still preserved.

In Figs. 5 and 6, I show another modification, in which I cause the rail A to take the place of the bar I) of Figs. 1 and 2. The lever B is a slightly-modified form of the lever B,

its free end extending under the base of rail A. ico

This rail rests on strong springs O, placed in cavities in the sleepers P. As shown in Fig.

5, the rod F is actuated bya double bell-crank lever, E, to which connections I) D are made from levers 13 under both tracks.

The actuating-connections may be modified in many ways, and of course any good form of pawl and ratchet may be used in place of those shown.

My invention may also be used with ordinary switch-locks, as well as with my improved kind, as shown.

It will be remarked that while the pawl on the end of rod F effectually prevents the unlocking of the switch-lock when engaged with the ratchets M M it does not prevent the switch from being locked, as the spring I will yield to permit the inclined sides of the ratchet-teeth to move in the direction in which the lever K forces the lockingbolt into the detent in the switch. This device of making the ratchet teeth with inclined and abrupt faces has thus an important practical use, and I greatly prefer to construct them in this manner.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with aswitch-lock, a locking-pawl adapted to engage with detents in the lock-connection and connected with actuatinglevers B, placed and arranged, substantially as shown and described, so that the movement of a train over a determined portion of track will lock the switch-lock in place.

2. In combination with a switch-lock, a locking-pawl adapted to engage with detents in the lock-connection, a spring, G, placed in the pawl-actuating connection, and levers B, connected with the locking-pawl and placed and arranged, substantially as shown and de scribed, so that the movement of a train over a determined part of track will lock the switchlock in place only so long as it remains there.

3. In a device for causing the train to look a switch lock in position, substantially as shown and described, the combination of the switch-lock having a ratchet attached thereto, with the lockingpawl, an actuating-rod, and a spring, I, arranged, as specified, to permit the pawl to yield slightly.

4. In a device for causing the train to lock aswitch-lock in position, substantially as specified, the combination of the lockingpawl having a yielding connection with its actuatingrod and a ratchet attached to the switch-lock having its teeth made abrupt on one face and inclined on the other face, substantially as shown and described, so that the pawl will prevent the unloeking, but not theloeking, of the switch-lock.

5. In combination with double switch-locks L L, actuated by a double bell-crank lever K, substantially as specified, toothed segments M M on lever K, and a locking-pawl actuated, substantially as shown and described, so as to engage the segments M M when a train is over a determined section of track.

JAMES J. TURNER.

\Vitnesses:

LISLE STOKES, Josnua MATLAcK, Jr. 

